Here is some publicity that we received from a local newspaper concerning the MILC Project.
printed in the Friday, November 23rd edition of the Macon Telegraph by reporter Julie Hubbard:
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Thursday, Feb 14, 2008Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007 Posted on Fri, Nov. 23, 2007
Students work with schools in Scotland, France
By Julie Hubbard
For 26 minutes, a Banks Stephens Middle School class interviewed teenagers in another country about what it's like living on an island three hours from the mainland.
They asked the strangers about attending school 400 yards from a round church, built that way so the devil could not hide in the corners.
The Monroe County students used a laptop, Web cam, projection screen and computer software to see and talk live with the students who live 4,000 miles away in Islay, Scotland.
Because of advanced technology, students in Middle Georgia are no longer bound by borders. At least two midstate schools exchange e-mails, video conference and work on projects with schools across the world - a modern version of pen pals.
"I like their accent. It reminds me of Shrek," said Banks Stephens eighth-grader Andrew Stevick who had just said hello to students named Stefen and Andrew in Scotland. "It was real cool. We could, like, talk, and it was across the ocean."
The schools connected after instructors from each of the school systems met at a technology conference.
In early November, the classes held their first video conference. Now they communicate using Wiki, software that allows users to link Web pages.
The classes also are working on a project together that counts as a letter grade.
While students in Scotland research the history and measurements of Monroe County's courthouse, students here are collecting the same data on Scotland's round church. The students will build computer 3-D images of each other's buildings and submit them to a popular mapping Web site for public viewing.
The communication isn't just about students using technology. It's also about students learning about another place in the world and talking to students who live there, said Bob Meacham, a Banks Stephens technology instructor.
"I really see this as the future of education," Meacham said. "More and more schools will work together on projects like this. It's an exciting thing."
At Bibb County's Westside High School, a French teacher also has reached outside of Macon to help his students learn.
Since 2004, Normand Brousseau has worked with an instructor at the Arnaud Daniel high school in Riberac, France, to become exchange schools.
Brousseau signed Westside up on e-pal, a world e-mail pen pal site, and found Arnaud Daniel school. This year, he finally got approval from the French Embassy to be exchange schools, which will allow students to visit each other and share their curriculums.
The students already exchange letters and e-mails. Brousseau has ordered four Web cameras, so Westside students can video conference with the French students.
His advanced French class also has sent a scrapbook of Westside photos, three pounds of pecans, a recipe for pecan pie and copies of the school newspaper to the students in France.
"We can't take our kids and move them to France," Brousseau said. "We're bringing (France) here."
Brousseau said his students plan to visit the school, which is near the city of Bordeaux, in late May. French students will visit Westside in fall 2008 to learn about Macon and spend time learning about American sports such as football and basketball.
"I think it will probably fill in the blanks with learning a foreign language," said Tiffany Lipko, a Westside senior.
The global exchange is "just the beginning trend for the future of high schools," Brousseau said.
To contact writer Julie Hubbard, call 744-4331
http://www.13wmaz.com/video/player_news.aspx?aid=47623&storyid=48926
Here is some publicity that we received from a local newspaper concerning the MILC Project.
printed in the Friday, November 23rd edition of the Macon Telegraph by reporter Julie Hubbard:
Students work with schools in Scotland, France
By Julie Hubbard
For 26 minutes, a Banks Stephens Middle School class interviewed teenagers in another country about what it's like living on an island three hours from the mainland.They asked the strangers about attending school 400 yards from a round church, built that way so the devil could not hide in the corners.
The Monroe County students used a laptop, Web cam, projection screen and computer software to see and talk live with the students who live 4,000 miles away in Islay, Scotland.
Because of advanced technology, students in Middle Georgia are no longer bound by borders. At least two midstate schools exchange e-mails, video conference and work on projects with schools across the world - a modern version of pen pals.
"I like their accent. It reminds me of Shrek," said Banks Stephens eighth-grader Andrew Stevick who had just said hello to students named Stefen and Andrew in Scotland. "It was real cool. We could, like, talk, and it was across the ocean."
The schools connected after instructors from each of the school systems met at a technology conference.
In early November, the classes held their first video conference. Now they communicate using Wiki, software that allows users to link Web pages.
The classes also are working on a project together that counts as a letter grade.
While students in Scotland research the history and measurements of Monroe County's courthouse, students here are collecting the same data on Scotland's round church. The students will build computer 3-D images of each other's buildings and submit them to a popular mapping Web site for public viewing.
The communication isn't just about students using technology. It's also about students learning about another place in the world and talking to students who live there, said Bob Meacham, a Banks Stephens technology instructor.
"I really see this as the future of education," Meacham said. "More and more schools will work together on projects like this. It's an exciting thing."
At Bibb County's Westside High School, a French teacher also has reached outside of Macon to help his students learn.
Since 2004, Normand Brousseau has worked with an instructor at the Arnaud Daniel high school in Riberac, France, to become exchange schools.
Brousseau signed Westside up on e-pal, a world e-mail pen pal site, and found Arnaud Daniel school. This year, he finally got approval from the French Embassy to be exchange schools, which will allow students to visit each other and share their curriculums.
The students already exchange letters and e-mails. Brousseau has ordered four Web cameras, so Westside students can video conference with the French students.
His advanced French class also has sent a scrapbook of Westside photos, three pounds of pecans, a recipe for pecan pie and copies of the school newspaper to the students in France.
"We can't take our kids and move them to France," Brousseau said. "We're bringing (France) here."
Brousseau said his students plan to visit the school, which is near the city of Bordeaux, in late May. French students will visit Westside in fall 2008 to learn about Macon and spend time learning about American sports such as football and basketball.
"I think it will probably fill in the blanks with learning a foreign language," said Tiffany Lipko, a Westside senior.
The global exchange is "just the beginning trend for the future of high schools," Brousseau said.
To contact writer Julie Hubbard, call 744-4331
Here is the link to a video of the event posted on Friday, November 26 by reporter Julie Hubbard.
http://videos.macon.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=1571229
Andrew at Banks Stephens Middle School in Monroe County, Georgia said,
"It was really cool to talk across an ocean".